BMW has proved to be a great favourite of the judges over the years and 2009 is no exception, with the evergreen M3 polling an impressive 319 points.

Marc Noordeloos from Automobile put his thoughts succinctly, “This engine makes you smile and rewards greatly when playing with the upper reaches of the rev counter.”

Interestingly, the current V8 weighs in at 2kg less than the straight six it replaced in 2008, and this weight saving comes despite its much increased power output.
Australian motoring writer Bill McKinnon noted, “It’s BMW’s best performance engine, and let’s not forget that wondrous 8,250rpm redline.” Meanwhile Dean Slavnich, Awards co-chairman, added: “There's a reason why this engine continues to pick up so many awards. Combining performance, refinement and efficiency is not easy but BMW has managed to do such a thing with this twin turbo."

The engine features a separate throttle butterfly for each cylinder, with two stepper motors operating them on each row of cylinders. This gives the BMW M engine a particularly sensitive response at low speeds together with an immediate reaction whenever the driver presses the accelerator.

The thought put into the engine design extends to the Drivelogic transmission. The engine’s high-tech cooling system is integral with the transmission fluid, so the gearbox warms up faster than usual, which is very useful for increasing fuel economy in very cold weather. But power is arguably the marker of a true M3 and this V8 does not disappoint: 414bhp is generated at 8,250rpm, which helps ensure a 1-100km/h dash of 4.2 seconds. Graham Johnson, co-chairman of the Awards summed up the reason to BMW’s success in this class: “The V8 engine is an enjoyable and useable powerhouse.”

BMW’s twin-turbo 2,979cc engine appears in a variety of models, including the 335, X6, Z4 and 730.

The two-time overall International Engine of the Year winner struck a chord with the judges once again this year. Graham Johnson, Awards co-chairman, said, “BMW made a great powertrain even greater with the addition of not one but two turbo systems.”

The BMW engine is a straight six, with three cylinders supplying each turbo, thus creating a low-lag, fast-response unit. In its lower-powered guise, it supplies peak torque of 400Nm and 302bhp of power at 5,800rpm. This gives lively performance in all BMW models, with the new Z4 sDrive35i reaching 60mph in a shade over five seconds, for example.

BMW engineers point out that the turbochargers, through their concept alone, also help to reduce overall fuel consumption levels. For example, the turbines, made of a special steel, are extremely resistant to high temperatures. As a result, they are able to withstand temperatures of up to 1,050°C and there is no need to increase the supply of fuel in order to obtain an additional cooling effect. This works particularly well when the engine is operating under full load.

Key to the engine’s design is the high-precision direct injection, which has enabled a higher compression ratio to be used without risking knock.

This also means that the Z4 sDrive35i can manage average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle of 9.4 litres/100km (30mpg) and an even better 9.0 litres/100km (31.4 mpg) when the seven-speed double-clutch sport-automatic transmission is fitted to the vehicle. Specification of an aluminium crankcase helps to keep the weight down.

Arturo de Andrés from Automóvil in Spain concluded, “The amount of technology that BMW has bestowed upon this engine makes it the very best in this category.”

"You will get there, but it is up to you and you alone. It is what you are willing to do, and how you are willing to get there. You must be relentless, you must be tireless, you must pursue at all costs, so that you are ready, when the time is right." -Dad

"You will get there, but it is up to you and you alone. It is what you are willing to do, and how you are willing to get there. You must be relentless, you must be tireless, you must pursue at all costs, so that you are ready, when the time is right." -Dad

Interestingly, the current V8 weighs in at 2kg less than the straight six it replaced in 2008, and this weight saving comes despite its much increased power output.
Australian motoring writer Bill McKinnon noted, “It’s BMW’s best performance engine, and let’s not forget that wondrous 8,250rpm redline.” Meanwhile Dean Slavnich, Awards co-chairman, added: “There's a reason why this engine continues to pick up so many awards. Combining performance, refinement and efficiency is not easy but BMW has managed to do such a thing with this twin turbo."

Not that I want to start any more M3 vs debates, but did anyone look at which engine won the award for over 4 litres?

I see that in addition to the S85 V10 the N63 (4.4L turbo V8 from the X6 50i and 750i/Li) was in the mix also. I wonder how things will stack up next year when the S63 (4.4L turbo V8 from the X5 M and X6 M with 555hp) will also be in the running?

__________________

A gen-u-ine BMW eff-eight-zero with them tandem clutches in the transmission and that dad gum sun roof on the top-a da cawr.

BMW-PSA 1.6-liter Turbo
BMW/PSA Peugeot Citroën’s jointly developed turbo petrol engine has taken top honours for the third consecutive year in the 1.4-litre to 1.8-litre category, despite the arrival of the all-new Toyota Prius powertrain, which was an early favourite in this class.

Dan Vardie from Autoshow in Romania is one the judges who gave the Mini Cooper S heart top marks: “This is a great, small sporty engine, with an environmentally-friendly stop/start feature. It means the car is supple and fun to drive on winding roads, but is just as good in town.”

Meanwhile Dean Slavnich, co-chairman of the IEOTYA, added: “This engine represents one of the finest examples of engine downsizing.”

Featuring innovative stop/start technology on BMW models, jurors from all regions were once again won over by this powerful yet frugal motor. As Marc Noordeloos from Automobile in the USA explains, “This engine provides a wonderful balance of power and economy. It may lack the character of the old supercharged engine in the Mini Cooper S, but the dramatic drop in fuel consumption makes up for it.”

Made from light alloy, the 175bhp unit, which powers not only the Cooper S but also the Mini Clubman and Peugeot 207 and 308 models, features a twin-scroll turbocharger, gasoline direct injection, twin overhead camshafts, roller-type drag arms that have been optimised for minimum friction, and hydraulic valve play-compensation elements.

All this technology means not only plenty of power – and let’s not forget the 260Nm that is maintained from 1,500rpm to 5,000rpm – but also an average fuel consumption of 6.9 litres/100km (40.9mpg) for non stop/start engines. Since its introduction in 2006, more than 150,000 units of this engine have been produced and next year the 1.6-liter turbo heart from BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën will prove to be even more popular with the launch of the Mini Cross.

The two-time overall International Engine of the Year winner struck a chord with the judges once again this year. Graham Johnson, Awards co-chairman, said, “BMW made a great powertrain even greater with the addition of not one but two turbo systems.”

The BMW engine is a straight six, with three cylinders supplying each turbo, thus creating a low-lag, fast-response unit. In its lower-powered guise, it supplies peak torque of 400Nm and 302bhp of power at 5,800rpm. This gives lively performance in all BMW models, with the new Z4 sDrive35i reaching 60mph in a shade over five seconds, for example.

BMW engineers point out that the turbochargers, through their concept alone, also help to reduce overall fuel consumption levels. For example, the turbines, made of a special steel, are extremely resistant to high temperatures. As a result, they are able to withstand temperatures of up to 1,050°C and there is no need to increase the supply of fuel in order to obtain an additional cooling effect. This works particularly well when the engine is operating under full load.

Key to the engine’s design is the high-precision direct injection, which has enabled a higher compression ratio to be used without risking knock.

This also means that the Z4 sDrive35i can manage average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle of 9.4 litres/100km (30mpg) and an even better 9.0 litres/100km (31.4 mpg) when the seven-speed double-clutch sport-automatic transmission is fitted to the vehicle. Specification of an aluminium crankcase helps to keep the weight down.

Arturo de Andrés from Automóvil in Spain concluded, “The amount of technology that BMW has bestowed upon this engine makes it the very best in this category.”

BMW 4-liter V8
BMW has proved to be a great favourite of the judges over the years and 2009 is no exception, with the evergreen M3 polling an impressive 319 points.

Marc Noordeloos from Automobile put his thoughts succinctly, “This engine makes you smile and rewards greatly when playing with the upper reaches of the rev counter.”

Interestingly, the current V8 weighs in at 2kg less than the straight six it replaced in 2008, and this weight saving comes despite its much increased power output.
Australian motoring writer Bill McKinnon noted, “It’s BMW’s best performance engine, and let’s not forget that wondrous 8,250rpm redline.” Meanwhile Dean Slavnich, Awards co-chairman, added: “There's a reason why this engine continues to pick up so many awards. Combining performance, refinement and efficiency is not easy but BMW has managed to do such a thing with this twin turbo."

The engine features a separate throttle butterfly for each cylinder, with two stepper motors operating them on each row of cylinders. This gives the BMW M engine a particularly sensitive response at low speeds together with an immediate reaction whenever the driver presses the accelerator.

The thought put into the engine design extends to the Drivelogic transmission. The engine’s high-tech cooling system is integral with the transmission fluid, so the gearbox warms up faster than usual, which is very useful for increasing fuel economy in very cold weather. But power is arguably the marker of a true M3 and this V8 does not disappoint: 414bhp is generated at 8,250rpm, which helps ensure a 1-100km/h dash of 4.2 seconds. Graham Johnson, co-chairman of the Awards summed up the reason to BMW’s success in this class: “The V8 engine is an enjoyable and useable powerhouse.”